Releasing device.



D. JACQUES.

RELEASING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED xmms, 1913.

1,079,297. Patented N0v.18,1913.

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D. JACQUES. RBLEASING DEVICE. APPLICATION ILBD JANZ, 1913.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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Specification oftIfettersrJitent."l

Appiicatiniea January as, 5191i.) sr'ainemans.

ToI all wiom; if4 ,c'oncefmi Be it `knownr Athat s 1,1. .D'Aimsna J-Aeounaw at citizenY of the United; States",` residingf; atfi` Detroit, .in :thee county "odllayne anda-State.

of iMic'higang: yhave -inventedz certaiinz neve"A and i useful .Improvements inV Releasing. Devices-gf and@ I :do:A hereby` rdeclarethefollowings to=` be a full,. clean and f exact description fof Ath'e'f inventiom.I such; V*as will* enabler others skilled `in ther-art tov Which itiapp'ertains:to` make.

and use the same;

This :invention: relates :to-1, releasingidevices, and it more-particularly.relates to.:` provedI formfvoflreleasable supportsi The y primary object of .-i1ivention2-.-is t0'- provide ay simple; andvthoroughly-ieilicientaa supporting element in; connectioin with@ land;l

auxiliary tothe usual supporting means .ora i life boats.

Another obj ect fof fthe v inventionis -toiA .pro-

vide aadevice koiithis `character in'the tforrnr;

of an opening 'linlnzvvhi'chw consists oia sev-'- eral pivotally #connected sections ort'elements opening thelinkl:

Another object of. .tlf1e-i`nventionf. .is to. provide a deviceof' this character which maybe opened instantaneously, sonasto instantanee ously ureleaseia load Whiohiis carried] or supe ported. thereby.

videa deviceof this `charactervvhch may be `quickly closed and yautomati'cally:locked-:z

Another object of theinventionfis. to pro.I

beoperated by achi'ld or other.inexperienced1V person; and, another and' very'importa'nt ob`-v ject oftheinventiion istofprovide adevice of this character :'Which insures:` the maXimumi.

l' of rsafetyto. the load carried@ itlerebyi to:

;. the` operatori:

ing;p,rimari'lyL designed for supporting; li'fe boats; 11a-'1s to befunderstood;` that it is-by n.0

vations; Acarey trucks, etc., ini loadingzfships i" landrbarges; and( inafactoriesg.- furnaces; or fin movef;

1 i Other` objects and'advantages c may be rea i cited. hereinafter -andli'nithe claims.`

Inithe i-accompanyifngravvings,vvhichsun yiplement this specicatiom. Figure l is an:l

' vieW 'similiar to Fig.-.2, exceptv lthat the broken the latterfiigurewhizch is `shovvnf in. ope-n positi'onz.- Figi@isanedgeelevatioir view, as

fragmental detail view of a `porti-on of the locking member @or tumbler used in this modi- :fied-.forma Fig.;9 is azside .elevation view off for. fthe i purpose OfdemOnSt-rating Vv'the mode rectangular 1 frame or' `link f(V which consists ratentetrnnveisgie-ief Vhile I have sdelitied this'inveiit/ion( as be@ any. place; or Y forfany 1 purposey wherein.4 it is r desirable fto..|quickly 'connect and :disconnect theloadi "which is to bex-suspended .or zcarri'ed. s' vrlhis-wdevi'ce is alsoiapplicableffr connecting.;

ing` Wagons or other: conveyances -to traction'I i engines;l automobiles: or fotherfmotive :.povven 'soitliat thefvehiclebeingedrawnnmay bemin.;A Y fstantly released- .andistopped atfa predeter-1` mined point, While 1- the tractor continues to= it element ineFig.l 2l is? entirely removedA `.from Another `object' ofthe invention; is tto@ pro slightly 1, modiiied` :form 'aoff f the invention` in= connectionfwitha pulley-block.. Fig. Gisa structure shovvnsinFig; Fig; 7 is ay View v'ofthe same i structure shown in 4Fig/65: thek several elements fbeingiy in.opening. position.' Figa Sris` anperspective detail viewvbf: the

.80g-i.v means-limited to such Afuse?l Vbut may be; emr.` i* ployect .f or: supporting buildfings. materials -;I I; bucketsuin44 mines;-4 .quarmesand otherf exea` elevation; view-olii my :improved openiiig-ilink. .appliedtononefend ofia'lifeboat and sus-fl gpendedfroin .apulley blocks. Fig.; 2"islan`= enlargediside@elevationfiviem partly in secr ctionnandi.partlywbroleniaways. is a4 1105 'g5 and pulleyfblocki:aresillustratedi'fmerely of applying-:1" thefdevicee' Whiclr. constitutes `r 'myi invention,\..andl this `device Vcomprisesx a:

of an .-L-shaped basal .element.8, a pair of` `port-connection 15, respectively.

The elements 8 and 10 are rigidly secured together by means of rivets 16, so that they constitute an L-shaped member having its upper end bifurcated or provided with a slot 17 in which the tumbler 13 is pivotallymounted; said tumbler being formed with trunnions 18 which extend through apertures or bearings in the members 10, as indicated by d otted lines at 19 (Fig. 4). The slot 17 extends a sufficient distance below the tumbler to allow the entrance of the relatively thin extension 20 of the lock-bar 12 which is provided with a shoulder 21, adapted to abut against the inner edges of the bars 10, so as to limit the closing movement of the link. The bars 9 are pivoted at 22 to the element 8', the upper ends of said bars 9 being pivoted at 23 tothe lock-bar 12, so that said lock-bar may be moved longitudinally, and also swung upwardly cn the pivot 23, (see Fig. 3). The bar 12 is also provided with shoulders 24 which contact with the inner edges of the bars 9, so as to limit the downward movement of the lock-bar 12, whereby the extension 20 is guided into the slot 17, under and into engagement with the tumbler 13. This tumbler is provided with a coneaved surface 25 which slides over the convexed end 26 of the extension 20 when the latter is entering the slot, so as to rotate the tumbler and bring. its detent 27 into the notch 28. The extension`20 has Y its upper surface convexed at 29, and fits against a concaved surface 30 of the tumbler. The bars 10 are preferably of steel or other springy material, so that the upper ends thereof may be slightly separated, and will thereafter return to their normal parallel relation with each other. The inner surface of each bar 1() is provided with a small depression 31, these depressions being oppositely disposed and adapted to receive bosses 32, which are preferably hemispherical, these bosses being formed on opposite sides v of the tumbler, so that when the tumbler is forced into its normal operative position, it is held in that position by engagement of the bosses 32 and depressions 31.

One of the trunnions of the tumbler has a lever 14 securely and non-rotatably fitted thereon, this tumbler being preferably squared at 18 and Screw-threaded at 18a, as

shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The lever 14 may be operated by grasping its free end and pulling it downward, so as to rotate the tumbler 13 but I preferably provide a fiexible member 33, secured to the free end of saidlever 14 and extended to a point remote from the opening link, so that an operator may grasp the end or any intermediate portion of this flexible member and pull the lever down, in an obvious manner.

I may provide an eye or other suitable guide 34 through which the flexible member extends, so that the pull of the flexible member exerts a downward pull on the lever regardless of the direction in which the main portion of the flexible member is pulled. It is also obvious that the lever may be swung relative to the rigid element for disengaging the locking elements regardless of the position which the opening link has attained. For instance, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be assumed that the opening link has descended until it lies flat upon the deck or platform of the boat, and when the flexible element 13 is pulled, the end of the lever 14 is swung in the direction of the eye 34, so as to effectually move the tumbler and push the locking bar out of engagement therewith from be tween the furcations of the rigid member.

In operation, assuming that a load is being supported by the opening link, and it is desired to release the load instantly, it is only necessary to pull down the free end of the lever 14 (as described), thereby rotating the tumbler, so that the detent 27 pushes the lock-bar 12 longitudinally and disengages its extension from the slot 17. During this movement of the lock-bar, vthe detent 27 and notch 28 pass under the pivotal center of the trunnions 18, and the point 35 contacts with the eoncaved surface 25 to the right of the trunnions 18, so that the weight carried by the opening link causes such relative movement of the tumbler and lock-bar that the convexed surface 26 slides on the concaved surface 25, while the free end of the lock-bar 12 swings upward relative to the bars 9, into the position shown in Fig. 3, whereby the engagement of the bar 12 and element 15 is instantly released, so that the load is allowed to drop, or to remain at rest, according to the attending circumstances. The lower surface of the lock-bar 12 and the upper surface of the element 8 are preferably curved, as shown, so that the elements 14 and 15 will be automatically guided to the medial portions, respectively, of these bars.

It is obvious that for supporting a boat, it is preferable to employ one of t-hese opening links at each end of the boat, and a single flexible element 13 may be connected with both of the levers 14, so that both of the links may be opened simultaneously by pulling the flexible member laterally at its medial portion, so as to pull its end portions in opposite directions; although, if desirable, one of the opening links may be opened in advance of the other.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive, the links 9, locking bar 12 and elements 8 and 8 may be identical with those illustrated in Figs. 1 to Ll inclusive, but instead of the depressions 31, I provide hemispherical bosses 32, while instead of the bosses 32 on the tumbler, I provide hemispherical depressions 31, and from these depressions to the concaved surfaces 30 and 30'-, I provide an arcuate groove 31a, which is of slightly greater depth at its outer end than the radius of the hemispherical bosses 32', and of slightly less depth adjacent to the depressions 31 than the latter, so that as the tumbler 13 rotates, the ends of the bars 10 are gradually separated by the cam action of the converging arcuate groove 31a, until the bosses 32 snap into the depressions 31', for holding the tumbler 13 in its normal operative position. This modiiied form is especially applicable for links of this character which are designed to carry very heavy loads, and hence, the bars 10 are necessarily more rigid and less easily separated than the bars 10. 'Ihe lever 14 in this modied form is somewhat different in shape from the lever 14, and obviously, these levers may be reversed, and they may be set at either of several dierent angles on the polygonal portion 18 of the trunnions 18, to suit the attending circumstances and conditions.

It will be seen that I have provided a device of this character which is fully capable of attaining the foregoing objects, in a thoroughly practical and etiicient manner.

I do not limit myinvention to the exact details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as therewith illustrated and described, but my invention may only be limited by a reasonable interpretation of the claims.

I claim 1. A releasable supporting link consisting of several elements movably connected together, one of said elements being formed of springy material and having a slot into which an end of another of said elements is adapted to be seated, locking meansv for normally securing said end in said slot, means engaging the wall of said slot for retarding the movement of said locking means, and means whereby the locking means may be actuated for disengaging said end from said slot.

2. A releasable supporting link consisting of a bifurcated member, a lock-bar having one end seated between the urcations of the bifurcated member, means movably connecting the other end of the lock-bar with the bifurcated member, a tumbler mounted between said furcations, and means for rotating the tumbler and thereby bringing it into locking engagement with said lock-bar, said urcations being of springy material and being provided with means for engagement with the tumbler for retaining it in its normal operative position.

3. A releasable supporting link consisting of a slotted element, a lock-bar, means pivotally connecting the lock-bar with the slotted element, said lock-bar being provided with means for guiding it into the slot of the slotted element and with. means for limiting its movement into said slot and with a notch and a convexed end portion adjacent to the notch, a locking member provided with trunnions and being thereby pivotally mounted within the slot and having a detent in engagement with said notch of the lockbar, and with a concaved surface adapted to contact with the conveXed end of the lockbar, whereby the lock-bar may be moved into contact with the locking member for rotating it and thereby moving the detent into and out of engagement with the notch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAMASE JACQUES.

Witnesses:

C. A. NEALE, W. T. Frrz GERALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

